An old Bottle - but: How old?

[MichaelMdot]

Hello, Gentlemen,

I'm rarther new in this forum, but t I'd like to start with a question.
Recently I got hold of a bottle of HAIG's Blended Scotch Whisky.
It holds (I should say held )1 Litre, closed with a plastic screw cap.
Label says it was bottled "duty free for exportation only".
(This is quite alright, since I am from and the bottle is in Germany by now.)

HAIG_Front_r.jpg

When (roughly) this bottle might have left Scotland originally?
One hint may give you the label on the reverse side, which tells us the price:

Back_1L95p.jpg

I would reckon that this is an amount one would hardly receive a single glas of it in a pub nowadays, but there is an even cheaper price, on a label sticking beneath the one shown above:

Back_1L65p.jpg

For the picture is not all sharp I repeat: £1.65 (in words: 1 pound 65 pence)
So, if anyone here could tell (roughly) the estimated year of issue, and maybe the value of such a bottle I would be grateful.

Cheers and thank you in advance

Michael Muehr

[Peter07]

Hi Michael: What an interesting bottle and price. The only thing I know is the company was founded in 1877. I do have a suggestion. Send your pictures to McTears Whiskey Auction and ask them

www.mctears.co.uk

They may be able to provide the answer you are seeking.

Good Luck, Peter

[MichaelMdot]

Thank you, Peter, for your advice.
I'll try, if no one here can tell.
Regards, Michael

[John Barleycorn]

Hi Michael

Welcome to the forum.

There are three clues which give a rough indication as to when this bottle was produced. The first clue is the plastic screw cap known as a Jigger cap and was introduced into the whisky trade by Whyte & Mackay in 1960. The cap could be used either as a measure or as a small cup. Haig's were using this type of closure on their bottles in the 1970's. The second clue is the price label. Decimalisation of the UK coinage occurred on the 15 February 1971. The third clue is the price itself; in the 1970 the average price for a bottle of whisky was around £2.50, the average weekly wage was only £32. Although the whisky was being retailed through a duty free shop didn't make it totally free of tax, the second label with a price increase would suggest that there had been an overall tax increase, by the Government, on alcohol.

Given this information I would suggest that this bottle is post 1971 and dates somewhere around 1972 to the late 70's. It is difficult to put a precise date on such an item, I hope this may be of some help and would be very interested to hear what McTears have to say. I could be wrong.

Cheers John

[MichaelMdot]

Hi John

thank you, that sounds interesting. So if the bottle had been for sale BEFORE 15 February 1971, the price should have shown 1£ 13s (or something likewise), if I figured that right.

Seems as if I had to ask those auctioneers, though.
Anyhow, I'll come up later with another bottle, that looks even older.
(with a kind of special wire-flip-cork) Stay tuned, please.

Cheers